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Mark Quirk's High School Hockey: Central needs to get healthy

By MARK QUIRKNew Hampshire Union Leader

This weekend's blizzard came at an opportune time for the Manchester Central hockey team, which is still licking its wounds from a season filled with injuries.

The Little Green have lost two of their last three games to drop to 8-4 on the year and were scheduled to play Salem, the No. 2 team in Division I at 9-3-1, on Saturday. But, thanks to the weather conditions, that game was postponed and as of Saturday morning still didn't have a make-up date.

"We'll see if a couple of other guys can get healthy," Central coach Brian Stone said.

Central was missing nine players in a 4-2 loss to Bishop Guertin of Nashua last Wednesday and would have been without four players had it played on Saturday. Those four players were forwards captain Mitchel Fortin, Andrew Kehas and Will Lyons and defenseman Parker Anderson.

Stone said Fortin and Anderson could be back with the team soon.

Fortin has been out with a broken arm since the holiday break. He had his cast removed and is now skating with the team in a soft cast. He could return early next week, but Stone said if Fortin had it his way he would have played against the Blue Devils.

"I love hearing it but it doesn't go that way," Stone said.

The Little Green is scheduled to host Nashua South (1-12) on Wednesday and Hanover (5-6-2) on Saturday.

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Maybe the hottest team in the state right now is Nashua North. After a 1-8 start to the season, the Titans have won four games in a row and have knocked off the top two teams in the league, Manchester Memorial and Salem, in consecutive games. They beat the Crusaders (10-3) 3-2 last Saturday and then beat the Blue Devils 2-1 on Wednesday.

"We're playing a little better," said North coach Dan Legro. "But we have a long way to go."

Of North's eight losses, five were by just one goal.

Legro figures his team would have a good chance of making the playoffs by winning three of its last four games, but would probably need some help. Sweeping all four would obviously be the best scenario.

"All we can do is win," Legro said. "The rest is out of our hands."

The teams remaining on the Titans' schedule are Pinkerton (7-6), BG (6-6), Londonderry (8-4-1) and South.

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Berlin junior forward scoring sensation Connor Jewett has continued on his tear. He added seven more points to his total last week and now has 70 through 14 games this year, putting him on pace to finish the regular season with 90 points.

He recorded three points in a win over Moultonborough-Inter Lakes and four in a win against Belmont-Gilford. The Mountaineers, who are 14-0, have four more games left in the regular season.

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Merrimack's game against Bedford may have been postponed, but the Tomahawks don't have any letdown in the next opponent they face.

On Monday, Merrimack will host Dover in a make-up game at West Side Arena in Manchester at 4 p.m.

The Tomahawks come into the game atop the Division II standings with a record of 12-0 and the Green Wave are coming off a 5-3 win over Bedford, putting them at 8-3-1.

Mark Quirk covers high school hockey for the New Hampshire Union Leader. He can be reached at mquirk@unionleader.com.